Day 48 Thursday 3rd August

This morning Rick and Martin went out to collect the red claw and reset the pots. I had intended to take the kayak out but as a strong wind had sprung up over-night decided against it. When the boys were back in and the red claw catch dealt with we all went for a drive to the site of the Mary Kathleen mine and township. It was about 15kms back down the main road to Mt Isa and a few kilometres in. The open-cut uranium mine is there and at the bottom of it is a very blue lake. According to Rick and Kerry the lake was even bluer last year. It even appears to glow! We then drove back to the site of the township. In the 1950s uranium was found here and it was a thriving township (on and off) until 1982. The mine was shut down at various times during these years and then reopened until the uranium supply was exhausted. The population at one time was as high as 2,000. In 1982 the mine closed for good and all the buildings in the township were sold off. Now there are many cement slabs where buildings once stood, remnants of the oval, bowling-green, golf club, general store, cafeteria etc. Apparently some of the people who used to live in the town, now take their caravans out to the slab that was once their house and set up on it. There were a few caravans out there. In the late afternoon the wind had dropped out so I decided to take the kayak out close to sunset time in the hope I would see some pretty scenes. What I did see was quite scary. As I came around a small rocky island something caught the corner of my eye. It was a large fresh-water crocodile about the same length as my kayak and I saw it slither into the water. I hadn’t seen a fresh-water croc as large as this before, most I the ones I had seen were quite small and fine. I wanted to get a photo but the croc remained in the water with its eyes and snout poking out of the water. The closer I got the more it disappeared under water. I decided I would return back to camp but did enjoy some pretty scenery on the way back. In the evening we were all treated to a seafood feast. Entre was red claw cocktail, followed by crumbed calamari rings and finishing with King George whiting. The 6 of us sat around the table and had a wonderful time enjoying the feast.

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